An open-ended fact file for kindergarten science. Each student picks an animal they know, draws it, and records its food, water, shelter, and air and space by drawing or writing. A Did you know? box compares a rabbit, which eats grass, with a bird, which eats seeds and worms. In the last part, students tell the teacher what makes their animal special. The answer key is a model fact file for a rabbit, and the three pages support NGSS K-LS1-1.
K-LS1-1
“Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.”
The Survival Facts table, where each row names one need (food, water, shelter, air and space) for the chosen animal.
A large box for a picture of the animal each student has chosen.
A table with rows for Animal Name, Food (What does it eat?), Water (What does it drink?), Shelter (Where does it stay safe?), and Air & Space (Where does it move?). A Did you know? box below compares what a rabbit and a bird eat.
Students explain why their animal is special and how it gets what it needs. The teacher writes their words on the lines.
Model it first
Fill in the rabbit example from the answer key on the board. A burrow, puddles, and fields to hop in give students a clear pattern to copy.
Class book
Bind the finished fact files into one book. With a different animal on each page, students can compare how each one finds food and shelter.
Family homework
Send it home and ask a family member to write the Tell Me More part as the child talks. You get the child's ideas without the spelling hurdle.
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